Duty
by Raya Light
Summary: Probably could be G... The awakening of Saturn and another mysterious senshi after the collapse of the Silver Millenium. One shot - complete


Disclaimer: We all know that I don't own these characters. They were created by the much more talented Naoko Takeuchi. I hope I was able to capture their spirit and personality at least half as well as she did.

A/N – I know many depictions show Uranus' power as dark blue and Neptune's as dark green, but I prefer to have them complete the rainbow (Mars red, Venus orange, Uranus yellow, Jupiter green, Mercury blue, Neptune indigo, Saturn violet.) Pluto and Moon encompass the spectrum (black and white), while Tux and ChibiMoon accent it (gold and pink). This is just my personal preference...

**Duty**

On a dying world in the ruins of her once magnificent kingdom, a queen with hair as white as her world dropped her trembling arm and closed her silver-grey eyes. Her final weapon, the Crescent Moon Wand, fell through the air, then flashed and disappeared. Utterly defeated, exhausted, and sad, she waited for her final breath.

Drawn from their far-flung posts by a compulsion they could not deny, Sailor Neptune, Sailor Uranus, and Sailor Pluto gathered by the remains of the Great Hall. The destruction around them brought them to tears. One oddity caught their eye, however... For all the blood that bathed the halls, columns, and ground, there was only one body: that of their beloved Queen.

As they looked around in horrified silence, a terrible buzzing sound drew their attention. Each one looked in surprise as her Talisman formed in front of her. Uranus' Space Sword glowed a golden yellow and began to keen out a high note. Neptune's Aqua Mirror glowed a deep indigo, and added a second, lower note. Pluto's Garnet Orb added a black glow, which darkened the yellow and indigo glows. Instead of making them seem dirty or tainted, it made them seem richer, fuller. A low base note came from it. The keen became a chiming minor chord. The sound seemed to be filled with infinite sadness.

Another glow appeared. This one was a violet so dark, it seemed more like a shadow. Hidden in it's depths, they saw a figure. It was indistinct at first, a darker oblong shadow within a shadow. Then, it began to uncurl from its fetal position and become more distinct. Slowly, it revealed itself to be a human... Another Sailor Senshi... One with shoulder length black hair, dressed in a dark purple fuku and boots, and holding a tall glaive.

Pluto gasped as she realized who their Talismans had summoned. "Saturn..." she whispered in shocked disbelief. Uranus blinked in puzzlement. "Who?" "Impossible!" was Neptune's shaky response. "Sailor Saturn is a myth. A legend remembered only by ancient scholars. She can't be real. She can't be!"

Saturn looked dispassionately at the Senshi gathered in front of her, then turned to survey the ruins of the once flourishing capital.

"Sailor Saturn?" Uranus asked her fellow watchman impatiently. "Who is she? And why is she here?"

"I am the Senshi of Destruction, the Goddess of Death, Sailor Saturn," came a soft, young sounding voice.

"What? What are you talking about?" Uranus demanded of the newcomer.

"The Ender of Worlds," Pluto said in despair. "When she swings that Silence Glaive, everything ends. Everything."

Uranus blanched as she finally understood. "No!" she yelled. "No! You can't! There's no need! The battle is over! I WON'T LET YOU FINISH WHAT THE DARKNESS STARTED!" She grabbed her sword and rushed towards the newly awoken senshi. She came to a quick stop, flushing, as the point of the glaive pricked her neck and drew blood.

"Do not interfere," Saturn said coldly. "It is time for me to fulfill my duty." She began to levitate, rising above the older senshi's heads, and swung her glaive up to the sky. Uranus glowered at her, then gathered her energy for an attack.

"Wait..." another voice spoke. It was soft, yet full of power. Saturn blinked, and froze. Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto looked around for the speaker. "Just one more moment, please Saturn. I must speak with the Queen first."

"The Queen? But the Queen is dead," Neptune said in confusion.

"Not quite," the voice replied. Beside the Queen's body, another light began to glow. It was a soft rosy pink. In it stood an indistinct figure. It never formed completely, but the senshi could see that it wore the fuku of a senshi. It had large wings, and long flowing hair which had been styled in odangos on the side of its head as was the royal Lunar fashion. The small pink figure, no more than knee high, turned to the Queen, and spoke with grave sadness and respect.

"Queen Serenity. Queen Serenity! Please, hear me. Wake up for just a moment longer."

"Who..." the Queen's pained whisper was barely audible. "Seren...?"

"No, Majesty, not Serenity. I am the Guardian of Earth, the Senshi of Justice and Hope. I suppose I am now called Sailor Moon. I regret I was not here to help you in this fight. I have not been needed in so long, I did not recognize my presence was required. That will not happen again. Majesty, please, summon your strength one last time. Send me to your daughter. I will be reborn within her, to guard her when the need arises again. I claim your "future" child as my mortal form, as is my right."

Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto listened with growing confusion. "Sailor Moon?" Neptune whispered, looking at Pluto. "There is no such senshi... Is there?" Pluto shook her head, uncertainty in her garnet eyes. "I have never heard of such... But... She is there. And she was able to stop Saturn with just a word..." Uranus and Neptune blinked as they realized she was right. Saturn continued to float in the sky, unmoving, waiting patiently for the audience to end.

"I... I cannot..." the Queen whispered, too tired to cry. "I... have not... the strength... ...sorry... ...wish..."

The pink figure surrounded by the rosy pink glow turned to face the three grounded Outer Senshi. "If you give her your energy, it will be possible," she said. There was a faint plea in her voice. "The Princess must be protected in the future, at least until she is strong enough to protect herself. Otherwise, the Darkness will be too much, and the Earth will be destroyed."

"The Princess?" Uranus said, eyes widening in surprise. "The future? But Saturn is planning to end it all!"

The figure shook it's head. "The Silver Millennium will end, but the Princess and her guardians will be reborn. I can try to find her myself, but it would be tricky. This will assure that I get to her. Please!"

Uranus felt her resistance crumbling. There was something about this entity. Deep inside, she felt an urge, a compulsion to do anything it asked. Her rebellious spirit fought it for a moment, then gave in with a smile. The senshi was surprised at the peace and contentment she felt. It was far from her usual irritation with orders and restrictions.

Deep in her soul, Neptune felt the acceptance of the unspoken order. It felt... right. It was the only thing she could do. Wondering, she made a promise to herself to find out all she could about this "Ultimate" senshi that could command even the Outers and Saturn.

Pluto also felt the effect of the order deep within her soul. From the depths of her mind, a scrap of knowledge floated up. It was a poem almost as old as the Silver Millennium.

_...Icy Wisdom and Golden Beauty / Fiery Passion and Protective Strength / Rebellious Wind and Sighing Sea / Endless Time and Silent Death / All together protect and defend/ Bound as one, 'circling without end / Round the One who rules them all / To ensure Life's Energy never shall fall..._

"_The One who rules them all... Could it be?..._" she wondered.

Up in the sky, Saturn shifted impatiently. "She is hurting. The Earth is hurting. The pain is becoming torture..."

"Just one more minute, please Saturn. Truly, it is necessary. Please, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto. Please help us with this final act."

Uranus looked at the figure, then pointed her sword at the incapacitated Queen. "Uranus Power," she said strongly. Neptune held her mirror to her chest, glass facing the Queen. Closing her eyes, she called out strongly: "Neptune Power." Pluto held her orb out to the Queen and added her strength to the others. "Pluto Power."

Queen Serenity stirred, blinking her silver eyes slowly as she felt the power fill her. Hope filled her heart. Trembling, she reached out and cupped the light that was Sailor Moon. She lifted the light, closed her eyes, and concentrated on her link to her daughter. "_To Serenity,_" she thought, and called out softly: "Moon Power."

The pink light was encompassed in a silver bubble of power, and flew like a comet towards the Earth. Pluto felt herself fading, then solidifying again. Saturn swung her Silence Glaive, and the Silver Millennium came to an end.

Uranus, Neptune, and Saturn fell to the ground beside their Queen. Their Talismans glowed, then arced into the sky with flashes of yellow, indigo, and violet.

The Queen's soul, freed from the prison of her failing body, resisted the urge to head towards Paradise. Instead, she made herself sink into the powdery lunar soil until she found the underground defense computers and integrated with them. From that vantage point, she began her long vigil.

Pluto opened her eyes to find herself at her post at the Doors of Time. Tears fell down her face as she felt the emptiness around her.

A few days later, she couldn't take it any more. She had to know. She had to reassure herself that there truly was a future. Slowly, she approached the Doors and cast her soul cautiously out into the winds of time. And she smiled as she heard a voice uncannily like Queen Serenity's call out with determination: "I am the pretty sailor suited Senshi of Love and Justice, Sailor Moon! In the Name of the Moon, I will punish you!"


End file.
